Summer Camp
by PurpleLove123
Summary: Mikan, a clumsy girl who can't study is sent to summer camp with her friend Hotaru. Natsume, a rebellious boy, is sent to the same camp with his friend Ruka. What will happen when they meet? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1: The Bus Ride

**Summer Camp**

Hey everyone!

Although I am not a very good writer, I just loved the Gakuen Alice series. So, I decided to write some fanfics!

This is my very first story, so please bear with me.

If you have any comments about how I should improve my story/writing, please post them!

Thank you, and Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: The Bus Ride**

Mikan

"Woo hoo!" a voice cried. "We're a-goin' to summer camp!"

I sighed, and looked outside the window. Trees flew by. Trees, hills, lakes... and more trees. I sighed again.

"Summer camp! Summer camp!" a group of kids began to sing behind me.

I shook my head and tried to block out the noise. I was on a bus that was on it's way to some camp in the middle of nowhere. Normally I would be really excited to go to such a cool place, but this wasn't any camp. It was a studying camp... And I HATED studying. Well, not really. I liked school, but I was just really bad in all the subjects. I always bombed tests. It wasn't that I failed them on purpose. Actually, I worked extra hard before exams. But for some reason, I always got the majority of the questions wrong. Some kids said I had a head no smarter than a rock. I was almost ALWAYS the worst in my class.

My parents knew I was studying really hard, but my grades were always in the dumps. Then, they saw this flyer about a summer camp that claimed to help kids enjoy studying. This camp was supposed to help me get better grades in school. So, here I was, stuck in a bus crammed with all kind of kids. At least it wasn't studying all day. Then I would've already thrown myself off the bus. No, half the day was work, and half the day was outdoor games and sports. I had really looked forward to a summer with no homework and lots of times to play with my friends. Oh well. For the second time in 5 minutes, I sighed.

"Hey!" A small but strong hand pushed my head and I hit the window.

"Owww..." I winced and rubbed the side of my cheek.

"Stop sighing for goodness sake. You're driving me crazy! This camp isn't gonna kill you, you know."

I looked up and smiled. It was my best friend, Hotaru. At least she had agreed to come with me.

I tried to look on the bright side of coming here.

Well, Hotaru was here. Also, I could make a lot of friends during this camp. And it was only about a month long. It wouldn't last the whole summer, so I would still have time to play with my friends at home. With each thought, my smile grew wider.

"Hmmm..." I muttered, "This camp could be more fun than I thought."

I laughed.

"Now what the heck are you laughing about? Just a minute ago, you were sighing like it was the end of the world, and know you look happier than someone who won the lottery!" Hotaru exclaimed.

"Oh, it's nothing." I replied, still smiling. "I was just thinking, since we have to go to camp anyway, Let's make the best of it!"

I made a fist and punched it up in the air.

"Summer camp, Here I come!"

Natsume

"Aww, Come on Natsume. It'll be fun!" Ruka, my best friend nudged me in the shoulder.

His bunny hopped into my lap, and stared into my crimson eyes, as if to say, "Cheer up!"

I just sighed and looked around the bus. Everyone had a silly grin on their face as if they were heading to the best place on earth.

Idiots. This bus was full of idiots, driven by an idiot, and was heading to an idiotic place.

The only good thing about this trip was that Ruka was with me. I wouldn't be able to stand it if I was alone.

I looked around the bus again, and this time spotted a girl looking out the window. She looked like she wanted to go home. At least there was one person that agreed with me on that. I couldn't see the sad girl's face clearly, but I could see the girl sitting next to her. She had a serious look on her face as if she meant business. She turned toward me as if she knew I was watching so I looked in a different direction. But not before I saw her eyes. They were like pieces of a newly polished amethyst. I could feel her eyes boring into me, as if warning me not to stare at her again. Weird.

Man, how the heck did I end up in a place like this? Oh yeah, my parents forced me. I hated school. In fact, I hated life itself. I was the most popular boy in my school and all the girls went gaga over me. It was creepy. The moment they saw me, they would scream something like "KYAAA!" And bombard me with stupid questions, "Natsume, let's go out!" or "Natsume, will you be my boyfriend?" And then they would start pushing and shoving each other saying, "NO! Natsume is mine! Don't you dare even talk to him!" Ugh. Even thinking about it gives me a headache.

Anyway, I'm a rebellious student and I love giving teachers a hard time. Skipping class, not doing homework, and bombing tests are my hobbies. My grades really sucked, not that I fucking cared, but my mom made a huge fuss over it saying, "Natsume! You should care about your grades more. They are a very important part of your life!" Blah, blah, blah. Usually, she left me alone after the lecture, but for some reason, she sent me to this crazy camp saying all kinds shit. "This will give you a chance to enjoy studying and you'll just love school when you come back!"

Yeah right, I thought.

Just then, the sad girl… no, scratch that. The _once _sad girl jumped up with a grin just as silly as the others.

"Summer camp, here I come!" she cried.

Ah, great. Just great! I closed my eyes. This was going to be a _long_ ride.


	2. Chapter 2: Arriving at Camp

Summer Camp

Woo hoo! The second chapter has arrived!  
I hope guys are enjoying the story.  
I know that I'm not a very good writer,  
ButI just enjoy writing stories.  
Well, here it is. The second chapter!  
Hope everyone likes it!

**Chapter 2: Arriving at Camp**

Mikan

We'd been driving along this never ending road for the past 3 hours. At first, I'd stared outside enjoying the scenery. It had been boring before, but now that I was in a better mood, everything seemed brighter. The sky was a pale blue and the sun shone high above. The weather was perfect.

When I got sick of staring out the window, I started singing 'A Hundred Bottles of Pop on the Wall.' Soon, practically the whole bus started to sing along, even the driver. Only a cranky looking boy with raven black hair and crimson eyes and a couple of others didn't sing.

We had finished the song a while ago, and the bus was now noisy with the chattering of kids. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, really tired. Soon, sleep swept over me like a powerful wave…

"Mikan! Hey, Mikan! We're here! Wake up Mikan!"

"Hnn?" I opened my eyes sleepily to find Hotaru shaking me awake.

"Where am I?" I muttered as I yawned.

"Get up Mikan! We're at camp!"

Oh yeah. Now I remembered! I was at a summer camp with Hotaru. I stretched and got out of my seat. As I headed off the bus, I thanked the bus driver and grabbed my bags. I was eager to see what kind of camp it was.

"Whoa!" I cried, when I saw the camp. It was just like I had pictured. A lush green forest surrounded the camp. A wooden sign greeted us as Hotaru and I entered. A large wooden cabin loomed over us on our right side, while a lake that sparkled in the sunlight was over on the left. In front of us, there was a dirt path that winded through the forest and out of sight.

"Hi, everyone! Welcome to Camp Marshall!" said a cheerful man who wore a shirt that read 'Counselor' "My name is Narumi and I'll be a counselor for some of you. You guys must be tired from the long ride." We all nodded. "I'll tell you a bit about the camp and then I'll show you're your cabins. A guy named Marshall started this camp and so our camp and the lake you see over there is named after him. The stone path that leads to the forest leads to the cabins. The big building on the right is where you will study." A groan went through the group. Narumi smiled. "Well, since it'll get dark soon, we'll show you your cabins. Inside will be a schedule for tomorrow. For today, you guys can just unpack and make yourself at home. Follow me!" And he walked toward the stone path.

"Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai, you two are in Cabin 5. That's at the end of the path. Don't worry. It's not that far away."

I ran up the path, eager to see our cabin, with Hotaru taking her time behind me. There were 10 cabins with 5 on each side of the path. Cabin 1 was opposite of 10, 2 was opposite of 9, and etc. Cabins 1-5 were for girls, and cabins 6-10 were for boys.

I finally reached what would be my home for the next month. It was just the right size for two people, and it was simple but cozy. There was a bunk bed in the far right corner of the one room house. There was also a small desk, two chairs, and two drawers. Finally, there was a window with the view of the forest and, if someone leaned outside, of the lake.

I reached for my suitcase and began to unpack with a smile. I just couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Natsume

"Damn!" The kids on the bus had just finished singing and now I had a major headache. This was all that annoying girl's fault. She had had such a sad look on her face. What had made start singing like crazy? Weird, annoying, crazy girl.

Hour after hour, the bus crawled down the road the speed of a snowman. How long was this going to take? If we kept driving at this rate, just like a real snowman, we would melt in the sun before we actually arrived at camp!

Finally, at about 6 o' clock, we arrived at the "amazing camp that magically improved kids' grades" Yay! I thought and rolled my eyes. This is going to be _so _exciting! Blech.

A moron named Narumi came out to greet us and went on and on about the camp. Blah blah blah! Man, I couldn't even run away from this stupid Camp Marble or whatever if it got boring since this was in the middle of nowhere. Just when I was getting bored to death, the Narumi moron started walking towards a path that twisted into the forest and out of sight. When the group followed him, I trudged after them with Ruka at my side.

"Natsume Hyuuga and Ruka Nogi, you two are in cabin 10. Just follow the path until it ends. It's only a little ways off."

I cursed as I dragged my suitcase up the dusty path.

"First I get stuck in this stupid camp, and now I have to walk all the way to the end of this freakin' stupid path just to get to my cabin! Damn it!"

"Natsume, calm down!" Ruka pleaded as he ran to catch up with me.

"Whatever." I sighed. "Sorry Ruka."

We walked in silence until we reached a small cabin that had the number 10 painted on the door with white paint.

"We're here." Ruka said. "Let's unpack and rest up for tomorrow."

I just nodded and went inside. Man, I just couldn't wait until camp was over."


	3. Chapter 3: First Day of Camp Part 1

Summer Camp

This is definitely the longest chapter yet.  
Sorry the parts about Mikan are way much longer than Natsume's.  
Thanks a ton for taking the time to read my story!  
:D :) ;)

**Chapter 3: First Day of Camp Part 1**

Mikan

I sleepily rubbed my eyes and looked around. Sunlight danced on the walls and birds hidden in the leaves wet with dew sang a soft song. I was at a summer camp with Hotaru and today was my first official day here. I jumped out of bed, eager to see what was in store for me. There was no sign of Hotaru although her bed was made and all of her stuff was in order. Just like her. I washed up, and dressed into jean shorts and a plain yellow shirt.

Outside, I took a breath of fresh air. The weather was perfect today, too. The sun was shining, not a cloud could be seen in the sky, and there was a slight breeze. To my surprise, I was actually enjoying summer camp even though it had barely started.

"Hello." A gentle voice startled me.

A kind looking blond haired boy stood on the other of the path.

"Oh, hello." I replied. "Are you in cabin 10?"

"Yup. Nice to meet you. My name is Ruka Nogi."

"My name is Mikan Sakura. Nice to meet you, too! I guess we're neighbors from now on."

"Hnn… You're up kind of early."

"I am?"

"Uh huh. There's a schedule on the wall of everyone's cabin. Activities don't start until 30 minutes later."

"A schedule?" I turned around but there was nothing there.

"Oh. I think your cabin mate took it already."

"Hotaru? You saw Hotaru?"

"I might have. Short dark hair? Purple eyes?"

"Yeah, that's Hotaru. Wonder where she went."

"She headed down the path a while ago."

"Really? She sure woke up early today."

"Well, if you want, you can take a look at my schedule."

"Can I?" With a smile, I headed down the steps and to the front of Ruka's cabin.

"Umm… Let's see. Breakfast at 8, Study from 9 to 12, Lunch at 12, Recreation from 1 to 3, Free Time at 3, Study from 4 to 7, Dinner at 8, Free Time at 9, and Lights out at 11. Holy cow, that's one packed schedule. Wait a second… Are you kidding me? We have to study for 6 hours? This is basically summer school! I'm gonna die!" I moaned.

Ruka smiled and patted my arm. "Come on, it won't be that bad."

I smiled back. "Thanks."

I'd made a new friend on the first day. Things were looking good.

Just then, I spotted a figure coming up the path.

"Hotaru!"

Hotaru looked up and with a startled look.

"Mikan? What are you doing up so early? You usually sleep so late you get tardy for school everyday!" I blushed.

"And who's this?" Hotaru pointed at Ruka.

"Oh, his name is Ruka and he's in cabin 10."

"Nice to meet you." Ruka said, smiling at Hotaru.

"Hnn… Hi." Hotaru replied coldly. She didn't smile back.

Just then, the front door of Ruka's cabin slammed open, and a cranky looking boy with bright red eyes emerged.

"Oh, hi Natsume. You're up. I was just about to go inside and wake you."

Natsume nodded at Ruka and stared at me and Hotaru.

"Who the heck are they?"

Before Ruka could answer, I said, "I'm Mikan Sakura and this is my friend Hotaru. We're in cabin 5 and I just came to say hello. And I can talk, you know. So if you have any other questions, I'll answer them. I'm pretty sure I know myself more than Ruka does."

Natsume's eyes narrowed. "Well, you've said hello, haven't you? Now off with you, you annoying brat."

"Oh come on Natsume. It's only morning. Be a little nicer." Ruka protested.

"Ruka, stay out of this. Come on you cow, go back to your own cabin."

"Excuse me?" I exclaimed. "Cow? Brat? Well, aren't you rude! You have no right to call me that! Apologize this instant!"

Natsume just smirked and slammed the door in my face. What a jerk!

"Sorry Sakura. Natsume's just cranky because he doesn't want to be here." Ruka apologized.

"It's okay." I said. "And call me Mikan."

"Okay… Mikan. It's breakfast soon. You should go inside and get ready."

I smiled. "Sure. See you later!" And I waved and went back to my cabin. Hotaru was already inside but the moment I stepped in, I went flying into the wall. I realized that Hotaru had just shot me with a baka gun.

"Owww…" I groaned. Were those even allowed in here?

Hotaru might be a little cold but inside, she's a really nice person who cares about others. You could say she has her own little way of loving people. One of her hobbies is getting all kinds of weird gadgets. I have no idea where she gets them. Her baka gun is one of her favorite. I don't mind her collection. Some items are really interesting, too. I just wish she would stop hitting me with them. I think that might be her favorite past time, seeing how often she does it.

"You're late." Hotaru said.

"Sorry." I winced. The first time I had gotten shot by that thing. I had ended up on the floor bawling and crying. I think Hotaru even regretted doing it because I made such a racket. Now I'm used to it, but it still hurts a bit.

Soon, it was time for breakfast. Time sure zipped by fast. Hotaru and I headed out, side by side. But as I walked down the path, Natsume came to my mind. Just thinking of him made my blood boil. That meanie head had called me a cow! I didn't look anything like a cow! Yeesh! We had just met but we were already off to a bad start. What made him so hard to deal with? There must be a reason… Ugh. I didn't have time for this. After all, it was the very first day. And instead of thinking about Natsume, I wondered what the rest of the day would be like.

Natsume

My morning went off with a bad start. The chattering of Ruka and some girl woke me up. I sighed as I got out of bed. Why did Ruka always have to be so friendly with others?

When I got out of the cabin, I recognized the girl at once. It was that weird girl that I had noticed on the bus. She stared at me like I was an alien and I saw that she had large, chocolate brown eyes. Her friend from the bus was with her. Ruka's cheeks got a bit red whenever he looked at the weird girl. Was he blushing? This definitely wasn't normal and it pissed me off for some odd reason.

"Who the heck are they?" I asked Ruka with a frown.

The weird girl interrupted and said something. I only caught that her name was Mikan Sakura and that her friend's name was Hotaru. Then I heard the number 5. How the heck did that have to do with anything? I stared at the Mikan girl. She looked annoyed. Hmm… I decided to annoy her even more and called her a brat and a cow. For some reason, people didn't like being called cows. I had no idea why but they did. Mikan's face got all red and I smiled inwardly.

"Cow? Brat?" she cried. This was fun.

I slammed the door in her face and looked out the window. Her face was worth it. Astonishment, bewilderment, and anger all at once. But then, my smile evaporated and turned into a scowl. Ruka had just said something to Mikan and his face was scarlet. Mikan just smiled and kept talking as if she didn't know. What an idiot.

But why did Ruka look so nervous? Did he _like_ her or something? I mean, they had just met today. Wait a second… Why did I even care about all this crap? If Ruka liked someone, that was his business, not mine. It wasn't like I liked her, too. God damn it! This was confusing. I was getting a headache. I shook my head to clear away the thoughts when the door creaked open.

I jumped as Ruka came in.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." I answered back.

"Get ready. It's time for breakfast soon."

"Yeah, whatever."

As I washed up, I kept seeing that Mikan smiling in my head. What the fuck? What was wrong with me? God, I knew I shouldn't have come here! Argh!

Frustrated, I splashed cold water on my face.

"Come on Natsume, get a hold of yourself!" I muttered to myself. "Stop thinking of that weirdo."

I lay down on my bed and let my mind wander but no matter what, Mikan kept coming back in my thoughts. What was happening to me? I shut my eyes tight and…

"Hello? Anybody here?" I was standing amidst a field of flowers. A breeze blew and the grass swayed side to side. The sun was up. Everything was still. It was everything I wished for. Stillness. Silence. Peace.

But something felt wrong. Out of place. Suddenly, I felt someone watching me. I turned around. A shadow slipped out of sight.

"Mom? Dad?" I called out without even knowing I had done so. "Little sis?"

Then a figure popped out of the bushes.

"Big brother!" She laughed and ran into the forest.

"Little sis! Wait! Wait up!" I called and ran after her.

"Where's mom and dad? Why are you here all by yourself?"

She just laughed again and ran even faster. I tried to keep up but I was tiring quickly. It was getting alarmingly dark and cold as if the sun had disappeared all of a sudden.

"Little sis!" I called out urgently. "Stop!"

Trees flew past as I ran. Now there was a slight fog in the air. She was merely a shadow in the distance. I could hear her laughter getting further and further away. No matter how hard I tried to run, I couldn't. Like some barrier was holding me back.

"Little sis!" By now, I was practically screaming. Tears were forming in my eyes, which rarely happened. "Little sis! Please! Come back! Don't leave me all alone again! Please…" I crouched down and buried my head in my lap.

Suddenly, the laughter stopped. It was eerily quiet.

"Little sis?" I whispered.

A scream filled the air.

I sat upright on my bed. Sweat glistened on my forehead. I sighed with relief.

"It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's okay." I said as I tried to calm down.

"Wait a minute." I muttered. "What time is it?"

I glanced at my watch. Oh crap! I was 30 minutes late for breakfast. Why hadn't Ruka woken me up? I shot out of the door, running down the path.


	4. Chapter 4: First Day of Camp Part 2

I am sooooooooooooooooo sorry!

I am very very very very very sorry!

I got so busy cause of homework and stuff

And then I forgot I was writing a Fanfiction story altogether…

Hehe…

Anyway, I apologize! OTL

Also, I made a mistake in the story.

Cabin 5 is opposite from Cabin 10, not Cabin 1.

Thank you mshaly for mentioning that.

And I really am sorry.

I hope you guys enjoy the story.

And I will try to start updating this story more faster.

Thank you!

**Summer Camp**

**Chapter 4: First Day of Camp Part 2**

Mikan

"Ahh…" I took a deep breath and let it out. "The air is so fresh here! And there are so many trees!" I exclaimed and spun around on the path.

"Mikan, can you do me a favor?" Hotaru asked.

"Yeah?"

"Please shut up."

I huffed. "Well, fine."

I, Mikan, and my best friend Hotaru were walking down the path toward the main cabin for breakfast. Suddenly, I sniffed the air.

"Mmm… I smell breakfast!"

Hotaru smiled. "What are you, a dog?"

I smiled back and answered playfully, "Maybe… You never know. Looks can be deceiving."

Hotaru and I began to talk about the schedule and what we thought of the summer camp so far.

"Well," I said, "I like this place, but we have 6 hours of studying EVERY SINGLE DAY! And this camp is three weeks long! I'm gonna die!"

"Calm down, girl." Hotaru rolled her eyes.

"Hotaru, I know you're freaking out on the inside, too. Stop acting cool and just let it out."

Hotaru snorted. "You wish."

But I could see in her eyes that she was a bit worried. She might be talented in a lot of things, but when it came to studying, she was as hopeless as I was. Well, actually she was an A student except for math. But still… At least I wasn't the only one failing in my math class at school.

Finally, we reached the main building where we would study.

"Ohhhh!" The gasp came out before I could help myself.

Picture this. There's a big brick building in the middle of a clearing in a forest. It has a mass of picnic tables set on a grass front yard. When you sit down, you can see the lake in the distance. Then, here's the amazing part. The whole front of the yard is chock full of silver plates. And on them are all the kinds of breakfast food you can imagine. Eggs, waffles, bagels, muffins, bacon… You name it. It was a breakfast buffet!

I ran over to the nearest table and grabbed an empty plate. Hotaru followed closely behind me with an amused look. I looked around the piles of food with glittering eyes and began to put something of each on my plate. Then, I got a cup of orange juice and went to sit down. Hotaru eyed my plate with doubt.

"Are you sure you can eat all that?"

"Yup! Don't you worry about me."

And I began to dig in. It was delicious! I was beginning to really love this place, even if we had to study a lot. Halfway through breakfast, I saw Ruka and waved. He came over to our table and sat down.

I looked cautiously behind him. "Natsume isn't with you, is he?"

He shook his head. "He looked a bit sleepy, so I left him to get a bit more rest."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "No offense, but I really don't like him.

He smiled sadly. "I know. He can be a bit cold, but he's really actually a nice guy if you get to know him. But he's been getting a bit more sensitive, especially after that accident…" He trailed off and stared at the lake.

I leaned forward with interest. "What accident."

Ruka looked up with a start. "Oh, nothing." He shook his head and muttered, "Shouldn't have said that. Oh, look! There's Natsume. I better go." He waved and ran off toward a figure running down the path.

I watched him run. I was curious, but I didn't want to pry so I turned to Hotaru.

"Hey, Hotaru."

She was gone. What the heck? I whirled around and spotted her talking to a man wearing red shirt that had COUNSELOR written on it with huge letters. I finished off my food, threw the plate away and went towards her. She finished talking and turned towards me with pieces of papers in her hand.

"What's that?" I asked.

"This is our schedule."

I stared blankly at her. "We already have a schedule."

She shook her head. "Not that kind." She held up one of the papers and handed it to me. "This is our study schedule. It lists what classes you have at what time." I groaned as I received it. Then, she handed me another paper. "And this lists the activities we can choose to do during recreation and free time."

I read it out loud.

"During recreation, the campers may go swimming at the lake, play soccer in the fields, go hiking up on of the trails, play basketball in the court, play volleyball in the court near the lake, or go into the gym and play a game of their choice such as dodge ball or tag. At the beginning of recreation time, campers should report to the front yard of the main building and line up with the counselor for the activity of their choice. The counselors will lead the students to their designated area. After the first week, students may go to their area without guidance. Students are allowed to move from one recreational area to another area. There will be a counselor at each area except for the hiking trails. The students may hike at their own pace but must be with at least one other student at all times and make sure to be back on time. If a camper is injured, report to the nearest counselor.

During free time, students may do activities of their own choice. This includes studying at the main building and resting at your cabins. Teachers will be available during this time. Students may also explore the camp or continue with their recreational activities, but the hiking trails are off limits. If there are any questions, please inquire at the office in the main building."

I turned it and looked at my study schedule.

"We have different classes except for math." said Hotaru, looking at her own schedule.

"Oh…" I sighed. Oh well. There was no way I would be able to keep up with the great Hotaru.

There were four classes: Math, English, Science, and History. I had Science then English during the first two hours of studying time. Then I had a free period where I could go to any class I wanted and get help. During the second half, I had Math then History, then another free period.

"At least we can see each other during Math and free period." I said, brightening. Hotaru simply nodded.

Just then, the man Hotaru was just talking with stepped up with a mike.

"Attention all campers, please go to your first class. There are counselors all around the main building, so ask them for directions if you get lost. You have 10 minutes until you will be marked tardy."

I peered at Hotaru. "Is this school? We have tardy here, too?"  
She shrugged and walked toward the doors of the main building. I sighed once again and followed. We entered the building and then I gaped. It was just like a school! There was an office and signs that pointed toward the classes. The only difference was that there was no cafeteria and it was a bit smaller. I waved bye to Hotaru and followed the arrows to the Science class.

I finally found the classroom, took a deep breath, and entered. There were 4 desks, each with 4 chairs. This was a small class. The teacher stood in the front of the classroom, smiling and welcoming everyone. I smiled at her and looked around for a place to sit. Then, I saw Ruka sitting alone and went over to him.

"Hi!" I said, taking the seat across from him.

He smiled. "Hey, we're in the same class!"

I smiled back. "What do you have next class?"

"History."

"That's too bad. I have English next."

Just then, a rough voice interrupted me and said, "Oh, great. I have next class with you, too."

I looked up in surprise, then grimaced. It was that Natsume guy again.

Natsume

I ran down the path. Why were the cabins so far away? I was really starting to hate this place.

I finally reached the main building and stopped to catch my breath. I spotted Ruka in the crowd of students eating and was about to make my way to him when I saw that he was chatting with that cow. Ugh. What did he see in her? I stood there awkwardly, watching him and I felt a twinge of sadness. He was always so open and nice to people. I couldn't do that. I would always end up yelling insults that I didn't mean. I sighed.

Just then, Ruka ran up to me, his face red. I looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." His face turned even redder. It couldn't be because of that cow… was it? My eyes narrowed, but didn't say anything. Ruka kept on talking as if he hadn't noticed anything.

"Here," he said, handing me a piece of paper. "It's your study schedule."

I took it and scanned it quickly.

"I think I'll skip for today."

Ruka rolled his eyes. "Come on, Natsume. It's only the first day. I have the first class with you. Let's go together."

I gave a resigned sigh. "Fine."

Just then, a man stepped up with a mike. It was one of those annoying counselors.

Ruka grabbed my arm and dragged me into the building.

"Come on. Class is starting soon."

I followed him reluctantly.

I could actually study. Really well. I was pretty smart. Everything we learned at school, I already knew, and on the rare occasion that I didn't, I understood it almost immediately. But I always pretended to not know anything. I always got Cs and Ds. Not that my parents cared. They didn't care about me at all. Ruka never understood why I didn't show how smart I was. I don't really understand, either. But I always get the feeling that I shouldn't or something bad will happen. It's strange. Anyway, I walked slowly behind Ruka as he led the way to our Science class.

But, just as we reached it, I got that feeling. Oh no. Not here!

"Hey Ruka." I said as calm as I could, trying to fight the feeling of panic that was threatening to swallow me up.

He turned around and looked at me. "Yeah?"

"I gotta go in the bathroom. You go on ahead."

"You sure you can find your way back?"

I snorted. "I'm not 3. Now go in. I'll see you later." I waved at him.

"No skipping class." He warned as I began to walk away.

"No skipping." I promised him and Ruka went into the classroom.

As soon as I was sure he was out of sight, I slipped into an empty hallway. I ran into the nearest room, fumbling with the door with shaking hands.

"Oh, god." I muttered as sweat glistened on my forehead. "Help." I whispered pathetically as a spasm of shivering and pain broke out. I fell to my knees, gripping a nearby desk so hard that my knuckles were white, trying to keep from crying out.

This happened every few days. I didn't know why. This had started all the way back when I was 5 years old. But even after all those years, I was never ready for the impact of pain and panic that engulfed me each time. No one knew about this. Not my parents, not even Ruka. It was one of my many secrets.

I hung my head and squeezed my eyes shut tight, waiting for the pain to end. Soon, the shivering and feeling of helplessness slowly subsided and disappeared. I crouched there, breathing hard and sweating. I breathed in and out deeply for a few moments, stood up cautiously, and then sighed in relief. It had passed. I wiped the sweat off and began to make my way back to class.

Finally, I reached the door. I made sure that I looked as usual. No use in making Ruka worry. I stepped inside. The moment I entered, I frowned. Oh, great. This place was just like school. Just what I needed. Then, I spotted Ruka, but then stopped short, scowling. It was that cow again. What was with her? I walked towards them and reached them just in time to hear the cow say, "I have English next." I had English next, too. Now, this girl was getting on my nerves. And for some reason, the smiling Ruka was even more annoying. I interrupted their conversation saying, "Oh great, I have next class with you, too."

The Mikan cow looked up and seeing me, made a face. I made a face back. I didn't enjoy her company either.

**END OF CHAPTER 4**

It looks like the first day of camp is going to be very long for Mikan and Natsume…

Well, hope you enjoyed this

I will definitely try to the upload the next chapter more quickly.

But I apologize ahead of time if it is a little late.

Thank you for reading my story!


	5. Chapter 5: First Day of Camp Part 3

Summer Camp

**Chapter 5: First Day of Camp Part 3**

Hello everyone! :)  
This time, it wasn't too late was it? :D  
I try to get the next chapter out soon, too.  
Enjoy!

Natsume

I pulled out the chair next to Ruka and sat down. The cow was still glaring at me. The class started and the teacher started droning on and on about cells. Ugh. I laid my head on the table and closed my eyes. I already knew all of this. This was 2nd grade stuff. I tried to fall asleep but it felt like someone was staring at me. I looked up and stared right the narrowed chocolate brown eyes of the cow. What the fuck? I made a 'what?' face at her. She just continued scowling at me. I shook my head in annoyance and lay back down. For the next hour, I tried to sleep, but the cow kept on staring at me. It started getting on my nerves. Then, just when I thought I couldn't stand it any longer, the teacher announced, "End of class!" I sighed in relief and was the first one out of the door.

I wandered the halls until it was time for the next class, and then slowly made my way to English class. The teacher glared at me as I walked in.

"Why are you late?" she snapped.

"What's it to you?" I retorted back.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

I snorted. "I said, What-is-it-to-you.?" It said it slowly, so that her tiny brain could understand what I was saying. She stood there speechless and I looked around for a seat.

Ugh. AGAIN! The only empty spot was next to… you guessed it, the cow!

I gave a big internal sigh and plopped down in the seat next to her. If she started glaring at me again, I would punch her. Luckily, she looked at the teacher as she began to talk.

"You people!" she cried, "Are bad students!"

… What the fuck?

"You get horrible grades in school and that's why you are in this class." I saw the cow bow her head with a guilty expression. Huh. So she couldn't study either.

"But, I warn you," she said, staring pointedly at me, "If you fail in my class, I will make sure you have a miserable time here at camp." I glanced sideways and noticed that the cow had a worried look in her eyes.

"Now, let's start our first lesson." she said, rubbing her hands together in satisfaction as everyone in the class hurriedly got out their pencils and notebooks… except for me. I just laid my head on the table once again and closed my eyes.

After a few minutes, the cow suddenly leaned down. "Aren't you gonna listen?"

I shook my head slightly, don't know why. I should have just ignored her. I remained like that for the rest of the class, the rest of the students furiously jotting down notes on the teacher's words. Once again, I was the first one out of the room at the end of class. I ran into Ruka in the hallway.

"Natsume! How was English?"

"Tch. Teachers a total idiot."

"Oh… Well, it's free period right now. Where do you wanna go?"

I shrugged. "I don't care."

"Well, let's go to math. I'm worried about that class."

"Sure."

We walked toward the class and saw the cow and her friend Hotaru walk into the same room. I groaned softly. What was with my luck today?

We went in and Ruka immediately waved to the cow and headed towards the table she was sitting at. I reluctantly followed him and sat down across from the cow.

"Hey everyone!" the teacher greeted us. "This is the free period. In this class, you may only do things related to math. If you haven't had my class already, come up and I'll give you some worksheets about our 1st few lessons. I got up and got a stack of papers.

I sat down, and looked at the papers. Easy, easy, easy, WAY too easy, easy…

The cow took one look at the first problem and sighed.

"Hotaru, help me!" she whined.

Hotaru looked helpless. "I don't know any of this either!"

"Ruka?" the cow looked pleadingly at Ruka.

He shook his head. "Sorry, I suck at math, too. Why don't ask Natsume? He's really smart."

"Him?" she said, eyeing me carefully.

Damn! Ruka!

"Can you help me?" she said slowly.

"Fine." I was gonna kill him for this.

All three of them watched me as I explained how to solve the first problem.

"Okay, so this is with calculating radicals, right?"

They nodded.

"Do you know how to simplify a radical?"

The cow pursed her lips.

"No…"

I sighed. "There are a couple rules to do this…"

I explained the how process and still the cow looked confused.

"Let's move on." I said, frustrated. The rest of the class was similar.

"Natsume?" she asked me at the end of class.

"Yeah?" I eyed her cautiously.

"Can you teach me math during free time. I mean, I'm really hopeless at studying and…"

"No." I turned away.

"Please?" she pleaded, staring at me with her big chocolate brown eyes wide.

"No."

"Please, please, please?"

"No."

"Pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"No."

"Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?"

"Alright, fine!"

"Yes!" she smiled widely and ran over to her friend Hotaru. Oh great. I had said yes without even knowing it.

A man suddenly talked through a microphone and we all jumped.

"Okay, now its lunch time! Get outside and stuff yourselves cause you guys are gonna need lots of energy for recreation time!"

Everyone shuffled out the door to find another buffet of all kinds of delicious looking food. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I liked simple, not all this fancy schmancy business. I sat at a empty table and waited for Ruka for come with his food. He came and sat down with his plate piled with hamburgers, chips, fries… Ugh.

"You seriously gonna eat all that?"

He smiled. "I'm hungry after all that studying. My brain is dead!" I shook my head and watched him devour his whole plate in a couple of gulps.

And before I knew it, it was recreation time.

Mikan

Okay, I don't know why, but I kept glaring at Natsume the whole time. I wasn't even listening to the teacher even though I knew that I would have a hard time in class even while taking notes. After a while, I stopped glaring. I was going to listen to the teacher but I couldn't take my eyes off him. So, for 45 minutes, I started at him. Yeah, that sounds weird… But I really couldn't look away no matter how hard I tried.

He had messy raven black hair that fell over his closed eyes and each time he breathed out, his hair fluttered and saw something on his forehead that had been covered by his hair before. My eyes widened. A huge scar, a long jagged scar ran through his forehead and there were tons bruises around it. What was this?

At the end of class, he practically ran out the classroom and I sat there, trying to understand what I had just seen. What were those wounds?

I shook my head to clear the thoughts. I was gonna be late for English.

I got there just in time. I sat at a table with 2 empty seats. I looked around and frowned. Natsume wasn't here… I shook my head wildly again. Why couldn't I get him out of my head? I looked up to the front of the classroom to find the teacher glaring at everyone. Uh oh… I had a bad feeling about her…

The class had just started when Natsume walked in. The teacher eyed him and snapped at him, "Why are you late?"

He stared at her and said, "What's it to you?"

I saw his eyes, his crimson eyes and gasped. They were cold as ice and yet, at the same time, they looked sad and exhausted. He looked really… scary.

He sat down next to me and I flinched. Then, the teacher started yelling that we were bad students. I bowed my head. That was all true. I was failing in school and I was probably gonna fail in this class. I quickly started taking notes as she started talking about writing a persuasive essay. I was so focused that I didn't notice for a while that Natsume was once again sleeping.

"Aren't you gonna listen?" I leaned down and whispered. He was bound to get in trouble again. He shook his head and got back up, not wanting to miss anything the teacher said. Yet, in a small part of my brain, I was worrying about Natsume and how he was sure to fail. I was gonna offer my notes to him at the end of class. I know he called me a cow, but there was no harm in being friendly, especially since we were in the same class. But he was out the door as fast as the wind.

I walked out slowly, thinking about how mysterious Natsume when I saw Hotaru standing not far away. I wiped all the thoughts of Natsume and ran to her to ask how her classes were.

"Come on," I said, "Let's go to math class. I'm gonna get F's there."

We went there sat at an empty table. Soon, Ruka came in and he waved at us. He sat at our table and so did Natsume. I looked at him. He was staring out into space once again, not bothering to say hi to us. With surprise, I realized that I wanted to get to know him more.

We all got worksheets and sat down. I looked at the first problem and sighed. What the heck? How were we supposed to solve this?

"Hotaru, help me!" I whined. She looked at me and shook her head helplessly. I looked at Ruka. Maybe he would be at math. He shook his head, too. I groaned.

"Why don't you ask Natsume?" he suddenly said.

I peeked at Natsume and saw him glaring at Ruka.

"Can you help me?" I asked carefully, hoping he wouldn't kill me.

"Fine." the word exploded out of him and I flinched. Scary…

He got out a pencil and started explaining about radicals… or something like that. I didn't understand a word he said. The whole class, he kept talking about math stuff and I didn't learn one single thing.

After class, I went up to him and asked if he could teach me separately. I really knew I needed help and this would give me chance to know him better. He said yes reluctantly, but I didn't care. I smiled and went to Hotaru.

And then, it was lunch! I hadn't realized how hungry I was! I went outside and once again found myself surrounded by food. I piled my plate up and went to sit with Hotaru and a few other kids who looked friendly. I stuffed myself until I was so full that I couldn't eat another bite. I smiled at Hotaru. The classes might be hard but the food the here was amazing!

Then a man announced that it was recreation time. I looked up excitedly. This was going to be fun!

**END OF CHAPTER 5**

... This first day is very long...  
Sorry.  
But I write too much and don't know when to stop...  
Well, hope you liked it!


	6. Chapter 6: In the Woods

Yay, I wasn't too late with this chapter either!  
:D  
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who made this story one of their favs.  
I am so happy you guys are enjoying my story :) :) :)  
Also, I apologize but my updates might slow down a bit.  
I started a new story and I haf to write chapters for that one, too.  
If you guys have nothing to do  
And are waiting for my next chapter,  
Try reading my new story, Escape.  
Thanks, everyone, and enjoy the 6th chapter :D

**Summer Camp**

Chapter 6

The same man who had announced it was lunch stepped up once again and shouted into the microphone.

"All right guys, listen up! It's recreation time! You should have all gotten the information sheet. Now, choose where you want to go. Several counselors are standing here, and they are each holding a sign for one of the recreation spots. Stand in a line in front of the sign that has where you want to go."

Mikan looked up, her eyes twinkling.

"Where do you want to go, Hotaru?" She asked excitedly and then added, "I want to go hiking! I need to burn off some calories!" Mikan patted her stomach. "I ate way too much!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "I don't care where we go."

"Alright! We're going hiking!" Mikan jumped up and pumped her fist in the air.

In the distance, Ruka heard Mikan and smiled.

"Hey Natsume, wanna go hiking?"

20 MINUTES LATER…

Natsume

"You have got to be kidding me!" I said in exasperation.

I had agreed to Ruka's suggestion and gone with the hiking counselor to the start of the trails. He had said that since today was the first day, he was going to put us in groups of four and that we shouldn't separate. And guess who had been put in a group?

Me, Ruka (I was fine with him, he was my best friend.), Hotaru (Okay, it wasn't too bad.), and then… the cow! (ARGH! I just couldn't get away from her!)

So now, the four of us were hiking up the expert trail. I, Hotaru, and Ruka were athletic enough to go on the hardest one without breaking a sweat, but I was worried about Mikan, so far she had been a total klutz.

And then she had said, "Don't worry about me! I grew up in the country so I'm used to these trails. I can climb up Mt. Everest without any trouble. This trail will be a piece of cake." She smiled and started up the trail on her own… and then tripped on a tree root, scraping her knee.

…

Uh huh, she would _definitely _be able to climb the tallest mountain in the world without killing herself.

She had then scrambled back up and just started back up the trail. We had just followed her without a word.

Now, she was _way_ behind us, tripping on everything that was on the trail: roots, branches, us… Why in the world had I come here?

"Hey!" I shouted at her. "Would you speed it up a bit?"

She looked up and glared at me, her face smeared with dirt and covered with scrapes.

"I'm trying! Now, if one of you would just come here and help me, it would be a whole lot easier!" Just then, she fell down once again, twisting her ankle.

"Ah!" she gasped in pain. I sighed and went over to help her up but she couldn't even stand up, let alone walk the rest of the trail and get to her cabin.

"Hey, Hotaru, Ruka, can't you guys come help me?" I looked back. What the fuck? They had disappeared! I whirled around to make sure it wasn't some kind of joke. They weren't there. They had disappeared without a sound.

Great. Now I was alone with the biggest klutz of all time in the middle of a forest. I sat down next to her with a sigh. She couldn't even walk so there was no point in wasting my energy.

"What are you doing? Where's Hotaru and Ruka?" she asked in a bewildered voice.

"They're gone." I said curtly.

"What? They left us? Those jerks!"

I didn't say anything, not wanting to explain, and we sat in silence. It was quiet, peaceful, and I closed my eyes, slipping into my thoughts. We would have to wait a while.

Mikan

We were alone in the middle of a forest and I had a twisted ankle. This was the first time I was alone with Natsume, I realized. I wanted to talk because the silence was really awkward, but I was kinda scared.

I peeked over at him once and saw that he had this really sad face. He was usually scowling so it caught me off guard. It was like he had been wearing a mask and it had suddenly been taken off, revealing his inside feelings. Was he always sad and just pretending to be a rebellious boy to hide his emotions?

I frowned and thought about how mysterious he was.

Finally, not being able to stand the silence any longer, I gathered up my courage.

"Natsume?"

He didn't move but I kept talking.

"Why do look so sad?"

I looked at him and saw that he was smiling really sadly. That was the first time I saw him smile.

And to my surprise, he answered my question.

"Because of something that happened to me a long time ago." his voice sounded exhausted and full of pain.

I pondered that for a moment and asked another question, my fear being overpowered by my curiosity.

"If it happened a long time ago, why don't you just forget about it and move on?"

Another long silence. Then he spoke softly.

"You know Mikan," I stared at him. He had called my name, and not called me a cow. I smiled as my heart warmed at my name. It sounded good.

He continued to talk. "You know, some things, you just can't forget, no matter how hard you try."

"Then why do you act all bad? Just act like your normal self."

"If I revealed my feelings to the world, I think I would fall apart. I try to not think about it and pretend it never happened. If I told my past to everyone, they would feel bad for me and pity me. I don't want that. And I don't want everyone to waste their time feeling bad for me, either. I'm not worth it."

Oh, he's putting on a mask and hiding his inner self for other people, I realized. Natsume, he's… a really kind and good person.

Then, I opened my mouth to ask another question but my throat closed. I shook my head, 'There's nothing to be afraid of.' I thought, and forced it out.

"What… what happened to you to make you this sad?"

Natsume turned slowly and looked at me. I met his eyes and my heart stopped. His normally burning crimson eyes had turned into an icy blue. Some people would say that blue is a very pretty color. And it was. His eyes were pretty, but it was the brightest shade blue you could imagine. It hurt. I felt like he could see my heart. It looked like those eyes were boring through me. And… it was really really scary. What was happening?

He lowered his head and went he finally met my gaze again, his eyes were once again normal. Was I imagining things?

He shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to answer that question." My eyes widened. What could have happened to him to change a normal teen like me into a boy with such a big burden over his heart?

Suddenly, I felt drowsy. I fought it but the urge to fall asleep was too strong. Finally, I surrendered and let sleepiness wash over me like a wave. My last thought before I closed my eyes was, 'I finally got to know Natsume a little better.' And I smiled softly.

Natsume

I was thinking about my past. Without realizing it, my thoughts had drifted to the accident. As that day replayed in my head, I closed my eyes. If I could just erase all of this! But no, I thought in my head, sadly. I didn't want to forget this but I didn't want to remember it, either.

Then, the cow startled me with a question.

"Natsume, why do you look so sad?"

I smiled sadly. And to even my surprise, I found myself answering. I don't know why. But there was just something in her voice that made me reveal a secret that no one but Ruka and my family knew.

"Because of something that happened to me a long time ago."

She asked me another question and I answered it after a long pause. She asked me another and I answered it once again. Finally, she asked me the question to my biggest secret ever.

"What… what happened to you to make you this sad?"

I turned and looked at her. Then, as I looked into her eyes, I felt… him. Oh my god. No, NO! I looked away and pushed him back. There was no way I would let him take control. Not here, not ever. I had made a promise that day and I would keep it.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to answer this question." I said softly.

I saw her eyes widen but she didn't say anything else. I looked into the trees, trying to once again hide my feelings away.

Then, I felt something on my shoulder. I looked over and saw that she had fallen asleep. I smiled at her innocent face. She still didn't know how sad and unfair this world could be. She was like a small child. And I realized that now, I wanted to protect her from the dangers and keep her smiling brightly. Even if it cost me my life.

"Mikan Sakura," I whispered, "You aren't so bad after all."

END OF CHAPTER 6

Things are finally starting to move along now :)


End file.
